A blood test is a fairly routine medical procedure. You will probably have a lot of these if you have to stay in hospital for an extended period of time. Even though these tests are just procedures most of the time, you still tend to get a lot of patients who are wary about having their blood taken. This is even more prominent if you are a patient who is uncomfortable around needles.
While a blood test may sting, there is generally nothing to worry about. A blood test is normally used as a way to determine your overall health. Anything that needs to be treated immediately will be highlighted urgently, for example. That is why you may be asked to provide blood when in a hospital or when signing on to join a new doctor’s surgery. With that said, there are certain things that a blood test is used to detect. So, what can and cannot be found using a blood test?
Can: Cholesterol
Your arteries and veins will function much better if they are unobstructed. Unfortunately, us humans have a fatty, wax-like substance that can build up in our pathways. This is a substance known as cholesterol.
While cholesterol is a perfectly natural substance in the human body that is needed to build cell walls and tissue, you can have too much. Cholesterol normally builds up in your system if you eat too many fatty foods or do not get enough exercise. High cholesterol can lead to problems such as heart attack, arterial disease, or stroke. A blood test can be used to determine whether your cholesterol levels are too high or not. If your blood results do reveal that you have a high level of cholesterol in your system, then you may be put on a special diet or given medication to help prevent one of the many health issues above.
Cannot: Cancer
All types of cancer are caused by the same thing. It is a mutation of a cell in that part of the body that then spreads to the other cells that cause a mass or growth. These cell mutations can seemingly happen at random; however, they can be caused by environmental factors like too much exposure to UV light and smoking. While cancer is a disease that affects almost 50% of the UK population each year, it is not something that a blood test can pick up.
Blood tests are a diagnostic method used to monitor certain hormones and chemical activity inside the blood. Unfortunately, cell mutations occur all over the body, not just inside the blood. If you wanted to test for blood cancer, a CBC test can be used to allocate specific tumour markers in certain cancers, but this is only after the initial diagnosis has been performed.
Can: Anaemia
Anaemia is a hereditary disorder that is caused by a lack of iron production in the blood. This deficiency is innate, and you cannot pick up the illness elsewhere. To determine whether or not someone is anaemic, doctors can use a blood test to measure the levels of iron in your blood.
You can use supplements or iron-rich foods to boost your iron levels, but sadly there is no cure for the condition. If you wanted to find out if your supplements and food intake are affecting your blood iron levels, you can opt for a private blood test at a company like Bioma. These blood tests in London are there to give you peace of mind or hurry the process along if you cannot get a blood appointment at the hospital. Common symptoms of anaemia can include:
- Pale skin
- Tiredness
- Shortness of breath
- Heart palpitations
While none of these symptoms are life-threatening, they can be unpleasant to deal with That is why an early diagnosis from a blood test can be so beneficial. Also, foods that are high in iron include:
- Dried fruit
- Nuts
- Oats
- Tofu
- Green veg
Cannot: Dementia
Dementia is a brain degenerative illness that is not traditionally picked up using a blood test. However, some modern researchers have managed to develop a specific type of blood test that can detect the compounds that promote Alzheimer’s disease. While these two illnesses present similar symptoms, there is no blood test that can detect typical dementia.
That is because dementia is caused by the death of brain cells and neural pathways. The symptoms include a decaying memory, loss of concentration, and poor motor skills. Instead of a blood test, a GP will administer some cognitive checks to diagnose dementia.
Can: Diabetes
Since diabetes is caused when glucose levels are too high, it is a disease that is easily detected by a blood test. Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are diagnosed this way, and a high level of glucose in the bloodstream could be that the pancreas isn’t producing enough insulin. This is the main cause of diabetes.
That is why many diabetes sufferers will use insulin injections to dispel the extra levels of glucose in the blood. Too much glucose could result in life-threatening issues like a diabetic coma, so these initial blood tests are vital for all diabetes patients.
Cannot: MS
Multiple Sclerosis is another disease that is active from birth. It is a degenerative disorder that affects the patient’s spinal cord and brain. This starts to happen when your immune system mistakes your brain cells and nerves for foreign elements that need to be removed. As such, it is classed as an autoimmune disease. Since this is a neurological disorder, it cannot be detected using a routine blood test.
Since MS is a degenerative disease, most patients lose cognitive faculties over time. They can also lose their vision, speech, and ability to stand. MS is an illness that you are born with, so doctors can run neurological tests like brain scans to diagnose the issue. These tests also come into play once a patient starts to notice some neurological issues in adulthood.
Can: An Underactive Thyroid
The thyroid is a gland in the neck that regulates metabolism. As metabolism is the process that breaks down your food, an underactive thyroid is going to slow your metabolism.
As such, an underactive thyroid will lead to patients unnecessarily gaining weight and having trouble removing it, no matter how much they exercise. Since the symptoms of underactive thyroid are so minor, they normally go undetected during an adult’s lifetime. However, the results of another blood test could reveal an underactive thyroid. It is important to act upon this news as excessive weight gain can impact your health in the future. That’s why doctors will treat the symptoms with diet changes or supplements. For example, foods that are high in fat can prevent the body from absorbing the hormone levels used in your supplements. It is also recommended that patients eat a lot of oils and unsalted proteins.
Conclusion
As you can see, a blood test can be a great diagnosis method. Unfortunately, these tests cannot be used to check for everything. Just trust the process and try not to worry too much the next time you need one of these tests.
